This invention relates to an apparatus for timbering, which can perform various functions in connection with the reinforcement of walls of tunnels and underground mining levels and shafts as tunneling or drift work proceeds.
Lately, in the tunneling and drift work, its rock drilling operation and conveyance operation of crushed rocks have been considerably mechanized, and machines employed for the operations are getting larger and more automatized.
However, timbering operation which is to reinforce driven pit walls with frames, remains as it was, and is still performed by human power. For example, even the planting of props is made by human power. And, for laying top beams over capitals of props, a scaffold is built, upon which several underground workers stand for pulling up the beams and lifting them to a roof. This manner or kind of operations bring about often the falling of timbering materials and workers from the scaffold, as the operations are done at an elevated and unstable position. Such falling invites sometimes a secondary accident which makes the timbering operation dangerous. In order to prevent such accident, additional workers have to be stationed. This inevitably makes the drift work more expensive. And, in addition to the danger and increase of timbering cost, it requires time and labor to build and dismantle the scaffold and to transport materials required for the scaffold.
As briefed above, conventional wall and roof timbering operations of drifts and tunnels are accompanied with a number of drawbacks which are related with safety and efficiency of drift and timbering work. Though mechanization of such work has been sought, it has been difficult because sites where the operations are performed are narrow and small.